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Media portrayals of crime

What does research tell us about the portrayal of real-life crime by the media?

  • Official crime statistics indicate that most crime is non-violent, but media reports often suggest the opposite3. Homicide statistics have decreased in the past 10 years, despite public perceptions of an increase1.
  • Crime reporting on Australian news bulletins features, in comparison to Australian Bureau of Statistics data, an over-representation of:
    • violent crimes,
    • children and older Australians as victims, and
    • youth as perpetrators of crime.

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